The impact of COVID-19 on the Canadian Kidney Paired Donation program: an opportunity for universal implementation of kidney shipping

Abstract

Summary: "Never let a good crisis go to waste." - Sir Winston Churchill.

The value of Canada's Kidney Paired Donation program to the population cannot be overstated. Its greatest challenge as a national program, however, is the geographic separation of recipient and matched donor. Representatives from every transplant program in the country have been working toward increased use of kidney shipping in order to diminish the disincentive of donor travel. With transplantation program and travel restrictions in place to minimize the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the time to make a full transition from donor travel to the shipment of donor kidneys has clearly arrived.

Fig. 1

All kidneys that have been shipped as part of KPD within Canada (n = 16). Figure used with permission from Canadian Blood Services.